King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my fellow Israelites, my people. I had it in my heart(A) to build a house as a place of rest(B) for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, for the footstool(C) of our God, and I made plans to build it.(D) But God said to me,(E) ‘You are not to build a house for my Name,(F) because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’(G)

“Yet the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me(H) from my whole family(I) to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah(J) as leader, and from the tribe of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel.(K) Of all my sons—and the Lord has given me many(L)—he has chosen my son Solomon(M) to sit on the throne(N) of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build(O) my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son,(P) and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws,(Q) as is being done at this time.’

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